Paddy procurement yet to begin in many centers in Karimnagar

Procurement of paddy has not started in many paddy purchasing centers in the erstwhile Karimnagar district.

Karimnagar: Procurement of paddy has not started in many paddy purchasing centers in the erstwhile Karimnagar district. Farmers, who shifted their crop to PPCs, are eagerly waiting. Moreover, they are worried about the rain and facing troubles due to lack of facilities. Though the setting up of centers has started after Dasara festival, the procurement process has not begun.

Usually, the process starts in the second week of October. Even if it continues up to January, more than 20 percent of the crop would be procured in October. However, the process is yet to begin.

---

It was decided to set up 1330 centers in the erstwhile Karimnagar district including Karimnagar-340, Peddapalli-311, Jagtial-421 and Rajanna-Sircilla-258. However, the number of centers inaugurated so far has not crossed 100. On the other hand, the farmers, who sowed paddy in the beginning of the present Vanakalam season, have started harvesting and shifting the crop to PPCs.

However, they are facing troubles due to lack of facilities at centers. Rain is the most worrying factor for farmers since a spell of drizzling has been recorded in the district every day. Though the centers were established, there were no facilities such as weighing and cleaning machines, tarpaulins, labourers and others. Farmers are hiring tarpaulins to protect their produce from rain.

Scared of rains, farmers are forced to sell distress sales to traders at lower prices. The central government has announced the minimum support price of Rs 2230 for Grade-A paddy and Rs 2200 for normal variety. However, farmers are forced to sell a quintal paddy in between Rs 1900 to Rs 2100 depending on the moisture percentage.

Speaking to Telangana Today, a farmer from Kothapalli of Thimmapur mandal, Sudhakar Reddy said that Nustulapur PACS has set up a center in the village. Though they brought the crop to the center a few days ago, nobody bothered about the procurement of their produce.

Officials have not even supplied tarpaulins to protect crops from rains. They were covering the crop by hiring tarpaulins.

Manakondur MLA Kavvampally Satyanarayana on Tuesday visited the village to inaugurate the center formally. They tried to explain their problems to the legislature but the latter did not wait a single minute after breaking coconut, he said. Sudharkar Reddy, who sowed paddy in ten acres, harvested half of the crop.

Another farmer, Malyala Chandraiah said that the entire investment would go to waste if the crop was soaked in rain water. He sowed a fine variety crop (Telangana Sona) in his three acres of land following the state government’s assurance to give Rs 500 bonus.